FILE – Phillip Yazzie waits for a water drum in the back of his pickup truck to be filled in Teesto, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation, on Feb. 11, 2021. The Supreme Court has ruled against the Navajo Nation in a dispute involving water from the drought-stricken Colorado River. States that draw water from the river — Arizona, Nevada and Colorado — and water districts in California had urged the court to decide for them, and that’s what the justices did in a 5-4 ruling. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca, File)
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — “Please, from the bottom of my heart, prioritize tribal water rights and infrastructure,” Bridget Dorsey wrote.
Dorsey was asking the U.S. government to honor commitments to Native Americans as it puts together a plan to manage the Colorado River. Her simple request is among the 268 pages of messages that have been indexed and filed as part of the “Scoping Report for Post-2026 Colorado River Reservoir Operations.” It’s a 390-page document.
More than 15 tribes submitted comments that ranged from stern reminders of their right to govern themselves, reverence to nature and customs, and the need to be more involved in the decisions about the river.
Messages like Dorsey’s aren’t lost in the mountains of legalese and governmentspeak. Selfless personal pleas rise above the hundreds of other messages with more negative tones or piles of form letters meant to guide the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s decision on the river. Form letters accounted for nearly 90% of the 24,290 messages submitted during a 60-day comment period.
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Tribes have been underrepresented in past Colorado River decisions — particularly the 2007 agreement that’s expiring in 2026. They don’t want it to happen again, and 16 tribal organizations are participating in the effort this time:
- Colorado River Indian Tribes
- Gila River Indian Community
- Havasupai Tribe
- Hopi Tribe
- Hualapai Indian Tribe
- Jicarilla Apache Nation
- Navajo Nation
- Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah
- Pascua Yaqui Tribe
- Quechan Indian Tribe
- San Luis Rey Indian Wather Authority
- Southern Ute Indian Tribe
- Tohono O’odham Nation
- Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
- Ute Indian Tribe
- Yavapai-Apache nation
“As indigenous people, we recognize the inextricable connection to the land and water, which brings a profound sense of balance and responsibility,” wrote Edward Velarde of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
“We eagerly anticipate working collaboratively in the months and years ahead to protect the Colorado River system, honor the ancestral ties, and uphold the rights and well-being of the people, plants, and species that depend on the Colorado River,” he wrote.
“Acknowledging the historical exclusion of tribes from river management decisions, we emphasize the paramount importance of forging a partnership built on mutual respect, active engagement, and a genuine understanding of the indigenous perspective. By embracing this holistic approach, we can address the challenges at hand, develop sustainable solutions, and ensure the long-term vitality of the Colorado River for ourselves and for future generations to come,” Velarde wrote.
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The federal government and organizations including the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the National Audubon Society echoed the need for closer involvement with tribes.
“There is a critical need for infrastructure to allow tribes to fully and efficiently use their water resources,” Velarde added. While many tribes have Colorado River water rights, many lack access to the water. Tribes need infrastructure in order to […]
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